--- title: "Crossing and Finishing Drill: Whipped Balls & Runs" description: "Link wide delivery to goals with this crossing and finishing drill: driven versus whipped crosses, near and far post runs, and timing the attack on the ball." url: "https://coachboard.app/library/football/crossing-and-finishing-drill" sport: "Football" category: "Drill" level: "intermediate" dateModified: "2026-07-09" --- # Crossing and Finishing Drill — Football Drill Wide overloads and byline crosses create a huge share of goals, yet crossing is the phase most often left to chance in training — a winger slings balls in and strikers wander about hopefully. This drill wires the two halves together so that delivery and movement are rehearsed as one coordinated attack rather than two separate hopes. The heart of it is a shared language of crosses. A driven ball across the six-yard box, a whipped ball bending away from the keeper and a cut-back to the penalty spot each demand a different run and a different contact, and strikers who can read which is coming arrive on the correct line instead of guessing. Timing the run is where goals are won or lost. The near-post attacker must be late and quick, the far-post runner must stay behind the ball and attack it downward, and both must arrive on the move — the drill drills that synchronisation between the moment the crosser looks up and the moment the striker breaks. ## Objective Connect wide delivery with penalty-box movement: pick the right type of cross, time near-post and far-post runs, and finish first time on the attack. ## Setup - **Area:** One half attacking a full goal, wide channels marked on both flanks - **Players:** Wide servers, two attacking runners and a keeper, in rotating lines - **Equipment:** A full goal and keeper, Balls stocked in each wide channel, Cones marking the wide start and the near/far post runs, Bibs for the runners - **Duration:** 18–22 minutes - **Level:** intermediate (U12+) ## How it works 1. **Build the wide-attack shape** — Mark a wide channel on each flank with a ball supply, place two attacking runners on the edge of the box, and put a keeper in goal. A crosser starts the rep by driving down the channel to a marked delivery spot near the byline. 2. **Deliver a driven cross** — The first cross is a firm, low driven ball across the face of goal between the six-yard line and the penalty spot. The near-post runner attacks it first time; anything driven hard across that zone only needs a touch to redirect it in. 3. **Time the two runs** — Coordinate the pair: the near-post runner darts across the front defender late and sharp, while the far-post runner holds, stays behind the flight and attacks the ball if it clears the first man. Runs must be timed to the crosser's head lifting, not before. 4. **Whip it to the far post** — Switch to a whipped, bending cross aimed beyond the penalty spot to the back stick. The far-post attacker now heads or volleys down and across goal, meeting the ball on the move rather than waiting flat-footed under it. 5. **Add the cut-back option** — Finally the crosser reaches the byline and pulls the ball back to the penalty spot for a runner arriving from deep to strike first time. Rotate crossers and finishers, and alternate flanks so both feet and both posts are trained. ## Coaching points - Get your head up before you cross and pick the delivery to match the runs — a driven ball for near post, a whipped ball for far post, a cut-back for the late runner. - Cross away from the keeper: balls dropping into the corridor between keeper and defenders are the hardest to deal with. - Attack the ball on the move — a striker arriving at pace beats a defender standing still every time. - Near-post run is late and quick; far-post run stays behind the ball and heads it down and across into the far corner. - Deliver with the correct surface: laces for the driven ball, inside-foot wrap for the whip, cushioned instep for the cut-back. ## Variations - **Second-ball overload** — Add a third attacker crashing the penalty spot for knock-downs and rebounds off the keeper. This trains the striker's instinct to follow every cross in and turns half-cleared deliveries into chances. - **Live full-back pressure** — Put a defender in the wide channel so the crosser must beat their man or manufacture the yard of space before delivering. The added 1v1 forces a decision between crossing early first time and taking the byline. ## Build it in Coach Board In Coach Board, draw the wide channel and a curved arrow for the whipped cross bending toward the back post, then animate the near-post and far-post runners breaking on staggered timing as the ball is struck. Build a second version for the driven cross and cut-back so players can watch how each delivery pairs with a different run in a single looping sequence. ## FAQ ### What is the difference between a driven and a whipped cross? A driven cross is struck hard and flat with the laces, low across the face of goal, and suits a near-post runner who just needs a touch to redirect it. A whipped cross is bent with the inside of the foot so it curves away from the keeper toward the back post, giving a far-post runner a ball dropping onto their head or foot to attack. ### How do you coach strikers to time their runs on a cross? Anchor the run to the crosser, not the ball. The striker watches the delivering player's body and breaks the instant their head comes up to cross, so they arrive on the ball at speed rather than checking their run and standing still. Pairing the near-post and far-post runners in training teaches them to stagger their movement and occupy different zones. ## Related - https://coachboard.app/library/football/finishing-drill.md - https://coachboard.app/library/football/corner-kick-routines.md - https://coachboard.app/library/football/y-passing-drill.md --- Animate and share this drill with your team: https://my.coachboard.app